Barry Bonds’ dwindling gravitational pull, even in the Giants’ clubhouse

-There are aspects of this I didn’t deal with in the column: Maybe Barry Bonds didn’t want to cause too much of a splash in the clubhouse and so stayed away from most of the players…

And two, maybe he looked so different from his playing incarnation that most of the players barely could recognize him from half a clubhouse away.

He really did look different, and it wasn’t just the smile that almost never left his face (though that’s different, too).

Bonds had to be 20-30 pounds lighter than his last playing days, and I think that’s a conservative estimate.
But I think it was mainly the natural development of a great player coming back to a clubhouse he used to own… and realizing that it’s not his clubhouse any more.

It happens to all the great players. It has happened to Bonds.

—-the column/

Barry Bonds has been gone for five seasons and it felt like a lot longer on Monday at AT&T Park.

He showed up in the Giants clubhouse before the game, all smiles, skinniness and small talk.

He stopped in to equipment manager Mike Murphy’s office to see Murphy, Willie Mays and Lon Simmons.

Bonds even chatted up reporters—and actually looked rather pleased to see most of us.

But to the current players? Bonds came and went without much of a ripple in the clubhouse, almost like he hadn’t been there at all.

The only player I saw react and speak to Bonds was Pablo Sandoval, who is on the disabled list.

After the game, when I told Tim Lincecum that Bonds said he had advice to help him, Lincecum shrugged and said he hadn’t seen or heard from Bonds.

Would you be interested in Bonds’ advice, Tim?

“Well, I’ve got to see him first,” Lincecum said, and that was that.

This is not to say that Bonds’ legacy as the all-time home run king and seven-time MVP is dismissed in the Giants’ clubhouse and executive offices.

He played with Barry Zito (who pitched seven solid innings in the Giants’ 4-2 victory over Arizona), Lincecum (who has Bonds’ old locker space), Brian Wilson and Matt Cain, and played for manager Bruce Bochy.

And yes, there are signs at AT&T Park memorializing the homer that broke Hank Aaron’s record and Bonds’ final record total of 762.

Through all the sour history and clubhouse frostiness, Bonds did things here that no other Giant ever will.

But this isn’t Bonds’ Giants team, and this is a long time from 2007.

This isn’t even the second or third generation removed from the Bonds Era, and that hit home literally on Monday.

Other than a handful of players and coaches, here’s who Bonds knows at AT&T: Murphy and the Hall of Famers who congregate in his office, Mike Krukow, Duane Kuiper, Jon Miller, some executives, staffers, and yes, many of the media members.

Brandon Belt, who hit a booming RBI triple in this game, wasn’t drafted by the Giants until a year and a half after Bonds’ final game.

Buster Posey debuted with the Giants almost two full years after the end of Bonds’ career.

These guys barely know Bonds; there’s no reason for them to know
him well.

It’s a natural development, from infamous-superstar-that-stirs-the-drink to aging anti-hero to just-retired and prosecuted to pretty-distant-memory.

He is not, however, officially retired, according to Bonds himself. Close enough, though.

“I’m not playing anymore, so whatever you want to call it,” Bonds said. “I don’t know. I’ll let the Giants figure that one out for me.”

The inevitable end result: Bonds is a modern and much more controversial version of Mays—honored, but not any part of the team’s true storyline.

He comes up for Hall of Fame election this December, and by January we will know if the steroid taint—and federal conviction on obstruction of justice charges—will keep him out, at least temporarily.

That’s in the future. His playing days are in the past. For now, Bonds is just in the middle, and not necessarily a part of the current Giants’ mindset.

Which is healthy, by the way. It’s good for everybody to leave the tensions of the past behind.

“We enjoy it when he comes around,” Bochy said of Bonds’ presence. “If Barry wants to do that, that’s great, if he wants to get back in the game. I’m sure he misses it.”

And parts of this franchise and its huge fan base miss Bonds, that’s for sure.

That was clear from the reception Bonds received in the TV booth and in the stands, where he happily gabbed with fans and posed for pictures.

But this team has won a World Series since Bonds’ departure, it has new stars and has changed much of its core multiple times since October 2007, since BALCO, and since 2004, his final MVP season.

Bonds, for his part, seemed to be none too bothered by his dwindling gravitational pull in this stadium.

He was recognized, he was cheered, he smiled, and that was enough. It had to be enough, because this will be how it is from now on.

Great, great player doomed and tainted by ‘roids. He’ll get votes but not enough. That will be his legacy and all the ‘roid boys: Clemons, McGuire, Sosa, etc.

He might make in via the veterans committee…but that’ll be sometime past 2037, 25+ years from now.

haasy

still has a better life than the rest of us

Country Doctor

Here’s the thing: Do you really think he cares about the HOF?

BD5

Greatest player EVER!!! Bonds built Pac Bell because he put butts in the stands, and the Giants were competitive and exciting every year that he played. I’ve been to 10 – 20 games a year since the 90’s. I’ve never seen him rude to fans. Bonds might be a prima donna in the clubhouse, to employees, or to the media, but I don’t know that. I’ve never witnessed it.

And SO WHAT that he had four lockers and a massage chair! Executive management in any company gets the corner office and the premium parking space. The Giants should appreciate what he’s done for this franchise!!!

Ram

Putting Barry in with Sosa and McGwire is an insult to Bonds. He was a HOF before he started taking roids. If he is not in the HOF, then it’s because of the arrogance of the voters than anything else. He is the greatest player of the modern era. Everybody else can kiss his ass.

3rdKing

still getting the jabs in on Bonds, nothing changes for bay area sports writers…

the good news is he is no longer here to continually make ya’ll look bad…

all of the bay area writer hacks….hack hack hack….

happy memorial day

Gizzm

he’s still an aHole

Poopoosah

We all know what he did. Even to this day there’s still guys testing positive for PED’s. Bottom line is he is a GIANT for life!!

Steve

The funny thing about steroid use and baseball is that the vast majority of players who’s names came out as having used the drug were guys like Marvin Bernard, FP Santangelo, Bobby Estalella, Jason Grimsley, Alex Sanchez, Rafael Betancourt and Neifi Perez. Yeah, baby, those ‘roids really turned those guys into HOF’ers, ya think? Estalella, with those ‘roided-out muscles, was a heck of a home run hitter, ya think? LOL + LOL

The really good/great players were already really good/great players but because of Barry Bonds march towards home run immortality the media grabbed hold of the “steriod use = superman baseball player/home run slugger” thought process and ran with it until the entire issue became so overhyped and over-the-top nonsensical the government suddenly became more concerned with home runs and hat size than global warming, poverty and world hunger.

If size and muscle mass really means so much in baseball how could Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, both right around 5’11 and 185 lbs, hit over 1400 hrs combined, and a “pip-squeak” like Omar Vizquel play HOF-worthy baseball for decades? It’s because, unlike other sports, overall size and strength takes a backseat to all the other unique skills that makes a baseball player truly great.

Bonds only had one season in his entire career where he hit 50 or more homers. All his other years were pretty much in line with numbers he put up as a skinny kid in the 90’s. It was maintaining his excellence for so many years that enabled Bonds to pass Hank Aaron in homers.

But then again Nolan Ryan was striking out 200+ hitters a season and throwing no-hitters well into his mid-40’s. Two of the greatest players ever yet no one ever associated Ryan’s unheard of feats as a 40-something player with steroid use. Bonds longevity of greatness because of steroids, Ryan because he was so freakishly good.

I know lots of people who take prescribed steroid medication for health issues and quality of life. Anyone who’s ruined their health via steroid use can blame their abuse of the drug for their problems, not the drug itself. And as for it’s effect on transforming the meek into the mighty? LOL

My vote says some sort of drug abuse would be the only rational explanation for excluding Barry Bonds from the HOF.

Rochester

Yes, Bonds was a Hall of Famer before he started the roids…but there’s no way he was the greatest of all time.

Barry foolishly tainted his legacy..He has no one to blame but himself.

old stater fan

If Bonds was a Hall of Famer before the ‘roids then fine. BUT, then Pete Rose should also be in.

WillisReed

Don’t bring this guy back into the Giants organization. The organization finally moved on from him a couple years ago and will be much better off in the short, medium, and long term staying removed.

al oha

Bonds doesn’t have to have an Official Title to help some of the players on this current Giant Team. And he has plenty of money, so he doesn’t want a job because he’s broke.

He should be like a surrogate hitting coach to players like Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, and even Pablo Sandoval. He could communicate regularly with them via e-mail from Southern California. There is so much that he could help them with as far as swing mechanics, balance, and PITCH SELECTION.

They should establish that connection ASAP. Bonds is a resource readily available to this young Giant Team, that shouldn’t go untapped. They could get the necessary information while not having to deal with his physical presence all the time.

2012 lets go!

all those writers got their feelings hurt because he didn’t kiss their a$$ like others did. Fans don’t care about sportswriters feelings. So grow up. Writers were so bhurt that they gladly ignored all the others that were so obviously juiced out.

Smiles often times hide monsters but u writers need so much confirmation that they turn a blind eye.

Jacksonsf

Eventually Bonds will be in the HOF….along with McGuire, Sosa etc.

When are the Giants going to order another statue and where will they put it. The Giants seem to add a statue every 3 years. A statue of Bonds would look great near McCovey Cove.

sluggo

Looks like they censored my first comment.

+1 to Ram.

Basically, I wrote last night that I talk about Bonds as a Giant, not Tim K. as a writer. He and other writers have short memories or beer goggles if they think that this steroid era is the only game changing era in baseball.

orangeandblack

During his playing years, Bonds was really unpleasant to many people. Kawi is correct that the Bonds era is long over.
The question is, does Barry have something of value to offer this organization at this time? Yes.

Nobody has ever argued that Bonds does not have a great baseball mind. In fact, people like John Miller often refer to his incredible knowledge of the game. The fact that he “fit” (in whatever context) into the Giants as a player should mean that the door is open to Barry in some meaningful capacity. Just what this is remains to be seen, but I would have him as part of the Giants brain trust. And if Barry has matured and mellowed enough to turn the corner on being a d!ckweed, the people who report on the game should forgive his past and embrace what he can now offer the Giants.

shooter

I’ll say it now…..If Barry Bonds does not make the hall of fame I will boycott baseball for the rest of my life. I love baseball. I loved Barry, by far the greatest player i’ve ever seen, steroids or not.

He was surely a first ballot hall-of-famer before the alleged use.

And if you believe he used, the only evidence you have is from 2000 on.
If you’re saying you think Bonds used before, with no clear evidence to indicate it, you might as well retire the hall of fame because that’s just pure guesswork.

Again…if Barry Bonds does not make the hall of fame, the MLB will lose at least one fan, and given the decline of popularity of baseball with my generation, i’m not sure they can afford to lose me

Mike

Bonds was a HOF’er before ‘roids, some claim. Yes, and Richard Nixon was a heckuva president … until he wasn’t.

Let’s cannonize both of them.

milo

So Barry lost a bunch of weight…did his nads go back to normal as well?

harbinger

I guess you don’t mention that Will Clark cannot rush the pitcher anymore like he used to either. Just can’t let the guy make — what for him was a — quiet visit to the building. He was not invited, did not want to stir up the scene, just offered his services and talked to the media. But it proves only that you have too many buried hatchets to be a competent writer when it comes to Bonds.

All these little angry voices show up attempting to place Bonds among the Ramirezes, McGuires, and Seguis of this world. Look: he did not have a + test. Don’t you think we’d have known about that if he did? Tim and his ilk would have been trumpeting that from the rooftops louder than the blanket of insinuations they cloak their words in now.

harbinger

Just point to ONE + test and I will retract my words. just ONE.

harbinger

“Bonds even chatted up reporters—and actually looked rather pleased to see most of us.”

Couldn’t have been just having a friendly chat with you all. It had to be him ’emerging from his cocoon of shame’ to greet you like a flicker of the lost fame…How awfully trite TK. You know that is what you intend, but it just COULD NOT be that the weight of the team was off of him and he was not burdened by the responsibility to carry the whole damn organization wherever they might get to.

harbinger

And milo sums it all up for the loser-squad. You know you were cheering him on back in the day, but now you want to comment on his privates. Real suave.

TooFunny

Bonds in! Let him in the Giants org. & HOF. Except for the occasional lazy jaunts to first and oft-regurgitated Clubhouse attitude especially towards the HOF voting journalists, Bonds competed and excelled against the best of his ERA and was better overall than all of them. When everyone was doing ‘roids and he was too, he put his couterparts, both the pitchers and the hitters, to shame.

sfmetalhead

Bonds may have been a jerk to the media but my interactions with him as a SF Giants fan really elevated my opinion of him. My son got a picture with him during the 2007 on-field photo day. He stopped for photos with so many kids and seniors. Yes, he blew off the adults trying to get souvenir photos but he was on the field for the longest time. When he took a picture with my son (who got Bonds to stop with a lefty handshake), Bonds made sure everyone parted the way so I could get a picture. He checked to see if it came out and then went to the next group of kids. Was he perfect? No. But he appreciated his fans.

milo

Alrighty, bring out the Bonds on ‘roids apologists.

I’ll state it again, Bonds was a great, great player but he’s forever tainted by ‘roids just like the other ‘roid users: McGuire, Sosa, Clemons, you name ’em.